Associated head coach George Blaney, right, and assistant coach Kevin Ollie watch play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Marquette in Hartford, Conn., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012. Marquette won 79-64. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) less

Associated head coach George Blaney, right, and assistant coach Kevin Ollie watch play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Marquette in Hartford, Conn., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012. ... more

Connecticut associate head coach George Blaney, right, watches First Night NCAA college basketball exhibition activities with new assistant coach Kevin Ollie, center, and new director of basketball ... more

If Hart's name doesn't ring a bell, here's the skinny: He's a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Washington D.C. who ranks as a top-100 recruit in the class of 2013. He's been courted heavily by many high majors, particularly this summer. UConn, which offered him a scholarship in mid-July, was reportedly "three deep"-- that's Jim Calhoun, Kevin Ollie and Glen Miller -- for one of Hart's games at the Peach Jam.

But on Sunday afternoon, while Calhoun was "resting comfortably" following hip surgery, Hart announced that he'd decide between Rutgers, Cincinnati, Villanova, Memphis, Arizona, Miami (Fla.) and Penn State.

Its tradition far richer than the above seven programs, UConn is no longer in the running.

"I like (UConn) and its style of play, but I don't want to be part of an experimental process not knowing who the coach will be," Hart told Hearst Connecticut Media Group Tuesday morning.

Therein lies the greatest obstacle for the Huskies: Despite all the championship banners and NBA players and prime-time ESPN games, how do you sell a recruit on a program with a fuzzy coaching situation?

"They talked as if (Calhoun) would be there, but you just can't be 100 percent sure," Hart said.

Three days after surgery, all indications are that Calhoun, 70, will eventually return. It could be awhile, though. A prominent orthopedic surgeon told The Associated Press that it typically takes "8-12 weeks" for the bone in a hip repair to heal, which means Calhoun could feel effects into the beginning of the 2012-13 season.

He'll be out for the foreseeable future while several highly touted recruits visit campus. Long Island big man Kentan Facey is scheduled to come Wednesday, and New York City guard Terrence Samuel will drop by Friday. Both players, according to their AAU coach, Karriem Memminger, have strong interest in the college hoops king of the Northeast.

"The history, playing for a Hall of Fame coach in Jim Calhoun and the overall program is first class," Memminger said.

A lean 6-foot-9 shot-blocker, Facey will meet with Ollie and UConn president Susan Herbst during his visit, Memminger said. One question is sure to come up: What happens after Calhoun leaves?

Even if he fulfills the remaining two years on his contract, Calhoun will only coach through the 2013-14 season. Unless UConn reels in one-and-done players for the class of 2013 -- neither Facey nor Samuel fits that description -- all new recruits will eventually play for Calhoun's successor.

So who, exactly, will that be?

New Jersey sharpshooter Reggie Cameron (2013) said he'd like to know before making a commitment. In fact, nearly every one of the 15 recruits contacted by Hearst Connecticut Media Group this summer has expressed concern with the uncertainty, and most have pushed for Ollie to be involved in the Huskies' long-term plans. Ahmed Hill, one of the most sought-after players in the class of 2014, likes Ollie because "he motivates me to become a better person." Canadian shooting guard Xavier Rathan Mayes, an elite 2013 prospect, said it would be "really special" if Ollie became the head coach.

"I think it would impact (my decision) a little bit more if he was the head coach," Rathan Mayes told Hearst Connecticut in late June. --¦ He cares about the program and stuff, but he cares about you as a person. That's a really good feeling for me and my family. He's just a great guy at heart, somebody that I can talk to about basketball, but things off the court, my personal life, and that's special to be able to have that with the coach of a school. There's not too many like coach Ollie."

And Dorshell Clark, the mother of top-flight 2013 point guard Stevie Clark, said "we're not expecting Calhoun to leave ... but as long as (Ollie) is a part of the program, that would be fine."

The sales pitch at UConn has been consistent for two decades: National exposure, a chance to compete for a title and a chance to play for one of the most successful coaches in the history of college athletics. Today, with Calhoun's contract dwindling, recruits seem more concerned with the "coach of the future" rather than the "coach of the present." And as long as that future is unclear, there's going to be some trepidation.

"It's definitely an issue, not knowing who the coach is going to be, possibly having to play for a new coach and adjust to a different style," Memminger said.